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Sanford Says Goodbye to Coaching Legend Stan Waterman
WINTER 2021
BEFORE THEY ARE CHAMPIONS.”
– Bill Walsh, former San Francisco 49ers head coach and three-time Super Bowl champion
Sanford Says Goodbye to Coaching Legend Stan Waterman
Anyone familiar with Sanford’s boys’ basketball program knows that Stan Waterman, the coach who led the program for 28 years, lived the philosophy shared by Bill Walsh. Coach Waterman’s teams captured a record-setting eight state championship titles for Sanford, and many of the players went on to continue their athletic careers in college. While success was sweet, the hallmark of Coach Waterman’s career was his stellar mentorship of his players. Whether he was coaching Sanford student-athletes or players on USA national teams, Stan distinguished himself by putting personal development and sportsmanship ahead of athletic achievement. As a role model for young people, he worked to instill the values that helped athletes achieve their full potential as adults, beyond the basketball court.
During the summer of 2021, Stan received an opportunity to share his immense talent at the collegiate level. Delaware State University (DSU), which is home to a Division I basketball program, offered Stan the position of head coach for the men’s basketball team. Stan accepted DSU’s offer and began a new chapter in his coaching career.
When sharing his thoughts about Stan’s departure from Sanford, Head of School Mark Anderson said: “While many outside of the Sanford community know Stan as the coach of esteemed Warriors’ hoops teams, Stan’s day job as Upper School dean of students is an important part of his legacy. His even keel, kind manner, and thoughtful demeanor helped shape our positive Upper School culture. Always student-centered with a focused approach on growth and refl ection, Stan has been instrumental in helping students learn from their mistakes. We will miss his daily presence in the Upper School as much as we will in the gym. It is never easy to lose a valuable colleague like Stan Waterman. However, I celebrate what Stan has done at and for Sanford, and I ask everyone in our community to join me in congratulating Stan as he embarks on his new adventure at Delaware State University.”
